This invention relates to locks for bicycles, and more particularly for bicycles having a tubular frame constructions.
A common practice, at the present time, is to lock unattended bicycles by use of a cable which passes around a portion of the bicycle and a post or small tree, with the ends of the cable being then locked together to prevent theft of the bicycle.
Usually, after the cable is unlocked, it is wrapped around the seat support tube, or around some other part of the bicycle frame, for storage during the time the bicycle is in use. Such storage is bothersome and time consuming, and the presence of the cable detracts from the appearance of the bicycle.
Efforts have been made to store the cable inside one of the tubular frame members of the bicycle when the cable is not in use. Examples of such efforts are shown in: U.S. Pat. No. 2,051,822 to Clark, issued on Aug. 25, 1936; U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,602 to Lindner, issued on Oct. 7, 1975; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,714 to Treslo, issued on Dec. 27, 1977. However, each of the systems of these patents require that the user physically push, or stuff, the cables into the frame member, which again is a time-consuming annoyance for the user.
Another problem with the presently used cable locking system is that the locked bicycle is safe only as long as the cable is intact. A thief with a bolt cutter can quickly, and surrepticiously, cut the cable and then ride off on the bicycle without attracting much, if any attention.